How to pronounce paint
Say it like PAYNT. Paint is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce paint. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- PAYNT
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Paint pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- PAYNTSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of paint
American and British speakers say paint in essentially the same way: /peɪnt/ in the US and /peɪnt/ in the UK.
British respelling: PAYNT.
What does paint mean?
- make a painting“he painted all day in the garden”“He painted a painting of the garden”
- apply paint to; coat with paint“We painted the rooms yellow”
- make a painting of“He painted his mistress many times”
- a substance used as a coating to protect or decorate a surface (especially a mixture of pigment suspended in a liquid); dries to form a hard coating“artists use `paint' and `pigment' interchangeably”
- (basketball) a space (including the foul line) in front of the basket at each end of a basketball court; usually painted a different color from the rest of the court“he hit a jump shot from the top of the key”“he dominates play in the paint”
- makeup consisting of a pink or red powder applied to the cheeks
Where does paint come from?
From Middle English peynten, from Old French peintier, paincter, itself from paint, the past participle of paindre, from Latin pingō (“to paint”) (perfect passive participle pictus).
Words that rhyme with paint
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of paint.
Questions about saying paint
How do you pronounce paint?
Say PAYNT. The American pronunciation is /peɪnt/. In British English it is /peɪnt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in paint?
Paint is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: PAYNT.
Do Americans and Brits say paint the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /peɪnt/ and the British form is /peɪnt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.